The designs of Simon Page take us back to basics, to the literal building blocks of good design: geometric shapes. Page, a London-based graphic designer, is all about creating a visual experience that stimulates the emotions. His philosophy is “Good Design Excites.” And you’ll be surprised how exciting circles and squares can get after Page is done with them!

Though all of his designs jump-off from basic geometric shapes, his work gets more sophisticated as he layers on his color palette, cuts and rearranges the shapes in the frame, and develops unexpected patterns and textures. In the words of one commenter, he creates work that “you can get lost in - they are busy, but somehow calming at the same time.”

Geometric Cushion Designs

At first glance, the design covering this pillow seemed to have sequins on it, but on second glance, this is illusion created by bold color choices and the juxtapositions.

The same type of visual tricks follow in his other four pillow designs, which would make a striking focal point in any living room.

Home decor has become quite a happening thing that can encompass your whim and personality more and more. It is more widely accepted to make your space a unique one instead of trying to keep up with the Jones'. Let's take a look at what trends became red hot in 2011 and are sure to become more so as 2012 launches off.

Owls & Birds

The owl is a decor trend that has been there all along in some shape or form since the 1900's. Through taxidermy, design inlay on a leather piece or stitched in to a hanky, these mysterious night creatures have been a part of our culture as a piece of interest for a very long time. I remember my grandmother had a macramé owl in her indoor greenhouse when I was a child and other various owl decor in a very 1970's fashion.

The recent trend of owls from about 2009 through the present has definitely picked up on a new level of design playing off of vintage styles with a modern day twist that makes them not so tasteless, but fascinating and simply adorable from everything home decor, holiday ornaments, fashion and party decor. People can't seem to get enough owl.

The DNA11 Palette Contesthas come to a close with a staggering 6,000 plus entries of which one (1) winner and four (4) runner-ups are now announced! The mix of science and art proved to be quite intriguing. So without further delay, the winner is...

Neon is one of those palettes that often finds itself on the wrong side of the high-brow/low-brow division. Most of us associate the vibrant colors with things like the blinking signage advertising the local bar or fast-food spot, or our favorite "Saved by the Bell" inspired outfit from middle school.

With the advent of the internet the accessibility of information has never been more readily available than it is right now. All the answers are mere clicks away. But rather than stare at endless streams of data, creative minds have taken it upon themselves to reinvigorate the way information is displayed by transforming it into visual art.

Today's infographic may very well put the pie chart to shame but this is by no means a modern marvel. The infographic has existed for as long as humans have sought to express themselves. With the rapid pace at which technology is advancing there has also been an artistic movement brewing within digital seams. We are building a bridge between an inherent need to be imaginative and seek creativity all while living in an age dominated by computers.

Here I give you a medley of infographics with perhaps an overstated pop of color because, as you know, we can all appreciate that here.

When you come home with empty pockets you know you had a great vacation and while the days ahead may have you regretting the whole thing ever happened the folks over at Bundle created the infographic: "America's Most Expensive Towns" so that in the future you will be armed with the information necessary to choose wisely!

The launch of Mattel’s first line of Hot Wheels cars in 1968 was the beginning of what would become a big part of many of our childhoods. Almost 45 years later, Mattel estimates that about 41 million kids have grown up with their model toy cars, while the faithful enthusiasts have become collectors as adults. So, what was the secret to Hot Wheels' success?

For starters, a constant stream of new models and concepts has enabled Hot Wheels to remain competitive. Its rivalry with Matchbox, which had a 15-year head start debuting in 1953, has resulted in a very colorful history that has transformed our entire preconception of what model toy vehicles should or should not be.

Often referred to by collectors as the “Sweet 16,” the first 16 cars that were released featured metallic “spectraflame” paintwork in such exotic colors as Antifreeze, Magenta and Hot Pink. Soon to follow were a collection of 48 cars released in the 1970s, which included the Paddy Wagon and models with rotating crash-panels called Crack-Ups.

As the event organizer, Print had the tough job of narrowing down what topics would be covered to rein in color at its finest. Topics ranged from color trending to a variety of looks at color in product design to how color affects our lives on personal levels, business and even non-profit. Between some great speakers, fun activities and CMYK Cocktails, I'd say we all had a wonderful time discovering color in ways we hadn't thought of before. It was truly intriguing to meet and talk to so many people interested in color and who work with it in a variety of fields. From those who deal with it broadly between science and art, every attendee brought a unique addition to the conference.

These striped palette-socks will be sold in packs of three together in time for the Holidays over at Betabrand.com.

A big congratulations to these three ladies! They will each receive a $100 Betabrand gift card, their username on the sock packaging, five free sock three-packs and recognition on the Betabrand site in photos/videos (when able).

For the rest of you, Betabrand is offering great pre-order savings on the winning shirt and socks. And a special 20% discount on everything else at Betabrand.com. Click either of the links below...

Pitter patter I hear a lot of palettes waiting to be worn on your feet! We recieved over 2,000 entries in the Betabrand Striped Sock Design Contest! Here we are in the final round - 30 finalists have been determined with the highest LOVES. I can't believe only three will win?! The winning sock designs will be sold as a 3-pack and ready for the Winter holidays.

Voting ends Tuesday, September 27th at 5:00 pm Pacific. Only THREE entrants will win and you only get to vote once! Additionally, FIVE lucky voters will win a prize from the Betabrand product line!So get your bunz over there and make it count!

The Quick Response Code, better known as the QR code, has come a long way since it's start in 1994 as a tool for the automotive industry. This two-dimensional barcode was originally created for tracking vehicle parts and was ideal because it could hold a lot of information and could be read at high speeds (source).

A basic QR code is not limited to, but generally made up of black and white square clusters, almost like a very pixelated looking vector image. It looks like a funky blob to me, but apparently it can do quite a few nifty tricks!

The Many Creative Uses of QR Codes

Because the creation of the smartphone seems to provide us with endless possibilities, it only seems natural that QR codes have become prevalent everywhere and used on everything. I've seen them used most commonly in magazine ads, mainly for website URLs or store locations. Upon scanning the QR code with my iPhone it takes me to Google Maps showing me their location nearest to me.